Nissan Releases New Images and More Info on Upcoming EV

by KBB.com Editors | July 27, 2009 10:25 AM

Although it won't show the actual production-intent version of its upcoming electric vehicle (EV) until next week, Nissan has released another set of teaser images and some additional info about what we can expect from the car that will go on sale next year. Unlike the earlier Cube-based EV-02, this latest EV-11 incarnation fits a near-final production version of Nissan's zero-emissions platform into a specially modified Tiida four-door hatchback, which is a Japanese version of our Versa and far closer to what the real EV will look like. According to the accompanying release, motive power comes from an 80-kilowatt (107-horsepower) Nissan-developed electric motor teamed with a compact Lithium-ion battery pack mounted under the vehicle's floor. Coupled with its regenerative braking system, the volume-build version will have a nominal range of 100 miles. To help support owners of its first EV, Nissan also announced it has created a slick IT system that will link the car's on-board transmitter to a global data center to make driving a 24/7 proposition. At the touch of a button, the navigation system will bring up the projected driving radius, calculate if the preset vehicle destination falls within that range and provide the location and specific information on all available charging stations. Owners will be able to remotely monitor the state of charge of their vehicle's battery via the Internet or a cellular phone. A timer function will even permit optimized scheduling of charging and or air-conditioning cool-downs to take advantage of off-peak electric rates.